After a spate of transfers where the schools were the last to know about their star players’ move, here’s a positive change, one that should be the norm if only players and parents have the same standards.
Rico Navarro, the athletic diretor, announced the move of Leo Maquiling and Yoojin Kim to the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and the University of the Philippines, respectively, a move that had the veteran writer teary-eyed.
Why? Because both learned their football in Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Navarro has seen the two developed into the caliber of players that they are.
Of the two, I am more familiar with Maquiling and if ever there was a dictionary definition of an SHS-Ateneo footballer, you’d see a picture of the gifted midfielder right after the entry.
This guy when he is on, he is on. He was very impressive in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Casafi) a couple of years ago when he had three or four goals from set pieces before the finals and capped it with an inch perfect goal near the end of regulation against the University of San Jose-Recoletos.
Just as he was preparing for the free kick, I took out my camera phone because I was confident I’d see something special. I wasn’t the only one who had such idea; behind me were two officials and one said, “Kani, sulod ni, human na ni.”
Pandemonium broke when Leo painted his latest masterpiece in the 79th minute, earning the Cesafi title for the school and the MVP for himself in one of the greatest finals I’d seen in local football.
ADMU football program director Bob Manlulo has had his eyes on Maquiling since he was in grade school and expects Maquiling to be a center piece in their college program. On the other hand, head coach Jaypee Merida, knowing how many have come to recruit Maquiling, said, “He will help the team in the coming UAAP season... his experience in international youth games and also, he is a utility player, he can play midfield, winger and striker.”
On the other hand, Kim’s farewell interview makes anyone associated with Ateneo football proud.
“I started my football career in SHS-Ateneo de Cebu and I can really say that it changed my life. I was able to mature into a responsible person who can handle things without the help of others,” she said.
And that, as my friend Rico would agree, is what it is all about. It is worth more than all the trophies and medals combined.